Eyes only for each other.
Hearts beating to the same cadence.
His throat moves, and then his hand is pressed up against the door, palm flat next to the side of my head. “You’re staring.”
“You make it impossible not to,” I admit.
I’ve read about it in books. I’ve seen it on TV. I have never experienced it in real life, where a guy gives you a half-lidded look, a lazy look that almost lists all the things they want to do to you in real time while staring at you.
I stop breathing as his gaze lingers on my mouth. “You should really go.”
“You’re holding the door.”
He leans in and slides his hand down to the door handle and turns it then whispers into the crook of my neck. “Next time I won’t be this kind.”
“Kind?”
“Look at me like that again.” His nose touches my neck, he sucks in a sharp breath like he’s breathing me in. “And therewon’t be a place to hide. And I’m still too angry to be gentle, Lilah.”
“Who wants gentle.” I say sliding out from underneath him and leave through the small opening of the door and smirk to myself when I say. “Professor.”
All I hear when I walk away are expletives.
The pep in my step isn’t forced.
It’s real.
But in all my excitement I forget to text him about the event to see if he’ll be there, maybe it’s best to catch him off guard anyways. I shoot a quick text to Charlie with two simple words.
I’m in.
And hopefully, Jude will be there too.
“It’s too tight.” I tug at my navy blue skirt with the slit up the right thigh and look down at my white crop top. It’s classy without looking like I’m trying too hard and when I added an oversized men’s brown jacket and then a brown belt it totally completed the look. Minimal skin showing but just enough to tempt, and later in the night I can take off the jacket if we end up going to another party or doing something fun. “Right?”
“Nah,” Charlie waves me off, she’s walking in her nude heels like a pro. Her white dress has puffy sleeves that come right off her shoulders, it fits her form perfectly, and she added cowboy boots which honestly, super cute. Maybe not for a cocktail hour with professors but I highly doubt they expect seniors to wear pantsuits. Then again, I’m sure she’d kill in one of those too.
“Anything I should know about the dad you hate before walking into their guns blazing?” she asks. “Because I can charmthe pants off parents, not yours, obviously, but you know what I mean.”
I didn’t tell her the whole story. But I’m assuming he’s going to be more forthcoming when it comes to Charlie then he is me. “If it happens to slip that he works with Hale Enterprises let me know.” I nod. “Jude’s dad might be there, and if he is, let me know if they walk off together. Edward has jet black hair and looks just like Jude, and my dad has no hair and looks like John Cena.”
“Wait, for real?”
“You know those glow up divorce videos? My dad could be the poster child for those. He got like super into cars and fitness once he and my mom got divorced. He says he found himself. I think he just found money and attention from multiple women all at once. He’s an ass, just so you know, and a narcissist.”
“Aw, my favorite combo,” she says dryly. “Okay all that family drama aside, this will still be fine. It’s our last year, I’ve heard they have the best chefs in the city do the wine pairings, and again, free! We’re poor, remember?”
I laugh. “Yeah, that’s true.”
“I’m going to have to sell eggs to pay off my student loans. Why did I major in art again?” she asks. “It’s not like I’m going to get a high-paying job. At best I can teach.”
“Hey, some of us make it,” I say weakly.
She shoots me a look. “Yeah, very few. I think like less than two percent but hey, maybe you hook up with Jude and you can get some of your sculptures or paintings in studio.”
I snort. “That doesn’t promise us anything, and you know it. It just means we get eyes on our work; people have to pay real money in order for us to not have to donate eggs.”
She groans. “Don’t remind me. But also, it couldn’t hurt.”
